A reanalysis of nutrient dynamics in coniferous coarse woody debris

2001 ◽  
Vol 31 (11) ◽  
pp. 1894-1902 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott M Holub ◽  
Julie DH Spears ◽  
Kate Lajtha
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Nutrient Flux ◽  
Constant Volume ◽  
Coniferous Forests ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Nutrient Fluxes ◽  
Conservative Tracers

We analyzed net N, P, K, Ca, and Mg fluxes from decaying coarse woody debris (CWD) by developing a "volume-adjusted method" and applying it to existing chronosequence studies of CWD in temperate coniferous forests. Unadjusted nutrient concentrations may overestimate the amount of a given nutrient remaining or accumulating in CWD, because mass loss, primarily as microbially respired CO2, occurs during decomposition. This overall mass loss tends to increase nutrient concentrations (e.g., µg N/g CWD) by decreasing the denominator and, therefore, can be misleading as an indicator of nutrient flux. Our volume-adjusted method corrects for mass loss, by assuming a constant volume as CWD decays. Using this method we determined that (i) Ca and K were lost from CWD as decay progressed; (ii) N and P increased or had no net change in amount; and (iii) Mg results were mixed. Several studies showed net gains of Mg and several showed net losses. We discuss the applicability and limitations of the volume adjusted method and propose the use of isotopic and conservative tracers as more accurate, but more difficult, methods of investigating CWD nutrient fluxes. We also discuss possible nutrient flux pathways into and out of CWD.

Decay and nutrient dynamics of coarse woody debris in northern coniferous forests: a synthesis

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 763-777 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raija Laiho ◽  
Cindy E Prescott
Keyword(s):  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Decay Rates ◽  
Coniferous Forests ◽  
Minor Importance ◽  
Nutrient Cycles ◽  
Northern Forests ◽  
Aboveground Litter

We synthesize current information on input, accumulation, and decay of coarse woody debris (CWD) compared with other aboveground litter to assess the role of CWD in the nutrient cycles of northern coniferous forests. CWD contributes between 3% and 73% of aboveground litter input, but <20% of N, P, K, and Ca. Although CWD accounts for up to 54% of accumulated organic matter (including forest floor and soil), it contributes <5% of the N, <10% of the P, and <25% of the K, Ca, and Mg. Decay rates of CWD in northern forests range from 0.0025 to 0.071 year-1. Nitrogen or P concentrations in CWD increase during decay, depending on the initial N/P ratio, which eventually converges at about 20. CWD is initially a sink for N and (or) P, whichever is least available, but becomes a source later in decay. CWD contributes <5% of the N released annually. There is little evidence that CWD retains significant amounts of excess N following disturbance. We conclude that CWD is of minor importance in the nutrient cycles of northern coniferous forests, and that guidelines for CWD retention should be based on other perceived benefits of CWD.

scholarly journals Changes in mass, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in logs decomposing for 30 years in three Rocky Mountain coniferous forests

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (10) ◽  
pp. 1418-1423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindy E. Prescott ◽  
Kirsten Corrao ◽  
Anya M. Reid ◽  
Jenna M. Zukswert ◽  
Shalom D. Addo-Danso
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Nutrient Budget ◽  
Coniferous Forests ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Essential Components ◽  
Best Fit ◽  
Net Release

Estimates of decomposition rates of coarse woody debris (CWD) and fluxes of nutrients therein are essential components of carbon (C) and nutrient budget models. In a 30-year field experiment, we periodically measured mass remaining and nutrient concentrations in log segments of pine, spruce, and fir in natural, mature coniferous forests in Alberta, Canada. The predicted turnover times (t95; years) were 43–44 years for pine, 42–60 years for spruce, and 38–46 years for fir. Extrapolating from best-fit models, we predict that decomposition of these logs would be complete within 50–60 years. The ratio of carbon to nitrogen (C:N) declined for most of the decomposition period, and ratios of the three species converged at <200 at 90% mass loss. Net release of N occurred only after logs had lost 90% of their original C and C:N had declined to <200. The ratio of carbon to phosphorus (C:P) declined and converged at 500–1000 at 90% mass loss. There was no evidence of net P release from logs even at 90% mass loss. It may be possible to estimate the amounts of N and P that will be incorporated into decaying logs based on the extent to which their initial C:N differs from 200 and their initial C:P differs from 500.

Mass loss and nutrient dynamics of coarse woody debris in three Rocky Mountain coniferous forests: 21 year results

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Herrmann ◽  
Cindy E. Prescott
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Wood Decay ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Decay Rates ◽  
Coniferous Forests ◽  
Considerable Uncertainty

Mass loss and changes in C, N, and P concentrations were measured in 20 cm long log segments of lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud.), white spruce ( Picea glauca (Moench) Voss), and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) that had been placed in three Rocky Mountain coniferous forests 21 years earlier. Pine, spruce, and fir lost 76%, 39%, and 64%, respectively, of their initial mass during the 21 years. The corresponding mean decay rates (k) were 0.072, 0.024 and 0.052·year–1. The decay patterns of pine and spruce were similar with the highest k between 6 and 14 years. Fir k increased during the course of decomposition with the highest rate between 14 and 21 years. The correlation between original dry mass and k was negative for pine (r = –0.28), positive for fir (r = 0.35), and not significant for spruce. C/N, C/P, and N/P ratios declined and converged to a similar value in relation to mass loss for all three species. The N/P ratios of logs of all three species stabilized at about 19. These findings indicate that patterns of wood decay are difficult to predict (even with 14 year data), and so models that incorporate wood-decay estimates will be associated with considerable uncertainty.

scholarly journals Assessing Coarse Woody Debris Nutrient Dynamics in Managed Northern Hardwood Forests Using a Matrix Transition Model

Ecosystems ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 541-554
Author(s):  
Adam Gorgolewski ◽  
Philip Rudz ◽  
Trevor Jones ◽  
Nathan Basiliko ◽  
John Caspersen
Keyword(s):  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Hardwood Forests ◽  
Transition Model ◽  
Northern Hardwood Forests ◽  
Northern Hardwood

scholarly journals Decay and nutrient dynamics of coarse woody debris in the Qinling Mountains, China

PLoS ONE ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. e0175203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Yuan ◽  
Lin Hou ◽  
Xin Wei ◽  
Zhengchun Shang ◽  
Fei Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Qinling Mountains

scholarly journals In situ decomposition of northern hardwood tree boles: decay rates and nutrient dynamics in wood and bark

2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (12) ◽  
pp. 1515-1524 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris E. Johnson ◽  
Thomas G. Siccama ◽  
Ellen G. Denny ◽  
Mary Margaret Koppers ◽  
Daniel J. Vogt
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Exponential Model ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Decay Rates ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Betula Alleghaniensis ◽  
Northern Hardwood ◽  
Clear Cutting

The decomposition of coarse woody debris contributes to forest nutrient sustainability and carbon (C) balances, yet few field studies have been undertaken to investigate these relationships in northern hardwood forests. We used a paired-sample approach to study the decomposition of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), American beech (Fagus grandifolia Erhr.), and yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) boles at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire. Mass loss over 16 years followed a first-order exponential decay pattern with half-lives ranging from 4.9 to 9.4 years in bark and from 7.3 to 10.9 years in wood. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations increased significantly during decomposition, resulting in sharp decreases in C:N and C:P ratios. We did not, however, observe significant net increases in the amount of N or P stored in decomposing boles, as reported in some other studies. Calcium (Ca) concentration decreased by up to 50% in bark but more than doubled in wood of all species. The retention of Ca in decomposing wood helps maintain Ca pools in this base-poor ecosystem. Together, the exponential model for mass loss and a combined power-exponential model for changes in nutrient concentrations were able to simulate nutrient dynamics in decomposing boles after clear-cutting in an adjacent watershed.

scholarly journals Stoichiometry of needle litterfall of Pinus hartwegii Lindl. in two alpine forests of central Mexico

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-74
Author(s):  
Fabiola Torres-Duque ◽  
◽  
Armando Gómez-Guerrero ◽  
Libia I. Trejo-Téllez ◽  
Valentín J. Reyes-Hernández ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Nutrient Flux ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Mass Measurements ◽  
Pinus Hartwegii ◽  
Trends Over Time ◽  
High Dynamic ◽  
One Year ◽  
Needle Mass

Introduction: It is essential to have baselines on nutrient dynamics in forests, due to disturbances that climate change may cause.Objective: To quantify the annual production of needles of Pinus hartwegii Lindl. and the proportion of nutrients in the alpine forests of Jocotitlán (JO) and Tláloc (TL) mountains, Estado de México.Materials and methods: A total of 12 circular needle litter traps (30 cm diameter) were placed at ground level, in each forest, distributed in four topographically contrasting sites. For one year, 228 leaf mass measurements and 1 140 chemical determinations were made to determine needle stoichiometry. Measurements were subjected to a longitudinal analysis of variance, by testing trends over time (P < 0.05).Results and discussion: Needle production in JO were 67 % higher (11.2 Mg∙ha-1∙year-1) than in TL (6.7 Mg∙ha-1∙year-1); needle litterfall was higher during summer (June and July, months with higher precipitation). For JO, nutrient flux was 98.0, 5.2, 8.7, 24.6, and 5.6 kg∙ha-1∙year-1 for N, P, K, Ca, and Mg, respectively; for TL it was 55.3, 3.4, 7.8, 14.4, and 4.7 kg∙ha-1∙year-1 in the same order of nutrients. Nutrient concentrations were lower from March to May. Except for K, nutrient concentrations and needle production showed quadratic and cubic seasonal trends. Mg dynamics and N:Mg and N:K ratios in TL were more positive for tree growth.Conclusions: Jocotitlán and Tláloc forests produce significant needle mass (compared to other ecosystems) with high dynamic in nutrient transfers.

scholarly journals Forest Fragmentation Slows the Decomposition of Coarse Woody Debris in a Subtropical Forest

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunsheng Wu ◽  
Cindy E. Prescott ◽  
Chunjie Shu ◽  
Baoyong Li ◽  
Zhijian Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Mass Loss ◽  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Subtropical Forest ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Ecological Processes

Abstract Forest fragmentation is increasing rapidly around the world, and edge effects caused by fragmented forests can influence ecosystem functions and ecological processes, including coarse woody debris (CWD) decomposition. Understanding the influencing mechanisms of edge effect on CWD decomposition is needed to assess the effects of forest fragmentation on C cycling and storage. We measured rates of mass loss of CWD of Cinnamomum camphora and Pinus taiwanensis over two years at two distances (0-5m vs. 60m) from a forest edge at two altitudes (215 and 1400 m a.s.l.), in a subtropical forest. In addition, we determined the microbial community of each CWD and the soil beneath via phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs). Mass loss of CWD 60 m from the forest edge was > 15 % greater than that at the edge (0-5m). Mass loss was positively correlated with the abundance of microbial community and moisture content of the decaying CWD. Distance from edge explained 17.4% of the total variation of the microbial abundance in CWD. The results indicated that the reduced abundance of microbial communities and moisture content at forest edges reduced rates of decomposition of CWD. Long-term experiments with more tree species and more forest types are needed to assess the edge effect's generality.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document